Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Chapter 1126: Six Minutes (2)



The [Rune of the FIRST].

Replicus had seen this before.

He had not only spotted it on multiple other evolution options he had chosen to forgo in the past. He had seen it among his own newly acquired abilities as the Warmoth's Progeny as well!

Back when he acquired his abilities, he had gotten a staggering understanding of them all, except the Runes. They were not powers exclusive to him, after all.

However, that said, the use of the [Rune of the FIRST] seemed to become clear as explained by the guidance field.

Perhaps this was why the Null Devil King hadn't countered Replicus' from before, but... the Rune afflicted the one to deal the first blow in a clash. It gave its user a 450% boost to their powers and gave the opponent a six-minute time window to defeat its user, otherwise they would permanently lose half of their powers!

But of course, there wasn't only one activation condition for the Rune.

Replicus didn't know it, but if the user of the Rune was the first to land a blow, the [Rune of FIRST] would also work the exact same way. If the Warmoth's Progeny had known, he would have understood just why many races sought to learn this power from the Elder Sages of Penetration!

'Six minutes?' Replicus thought with a frown as the crushing might from the attack just now, faded.

He saw the contours and strokes of a massive Rune made from Null Life Essence vanish from all around him, and he couldn't help but lament the fact that he didn't thoroughly study the Runes in his arsenal. He hadn't had the chance, what with being entranced by the Empyrean Bosom, creating the Fallen Reincarnator's Shadow, and planning how to save Stylla and

Ferex.

"Don't mind it, Replicus Prime!"

"We have more than enough power to beat that bastard even with the unfair boost."

"Yeah. Remember, we aren't just spectators anymore. We can participate too. You can never get overwhelmed."

"We are your eyes, ears and brains. Flesh knows you need that last one more than anything else right now."

The reassurance from the phantoms came right before a ferocious presence barrelled down on Replicus from the skies!

The Null Devil King, empowered tremendously, stormed down while unintentionally warping the fickle space about!

His speed was outrageous, and his bastard sword, intent on sinking into the Warmoth's successor, displayed a similarly outrageous drive!

However, the Progeny was not helpless.

[Warmoth's Fortitude), a passive Super skill in Replicus' possession, kicked in. It boosted the efficiency and power of his Ju`wtte by 300%, and sent the yellowish red bolts of crackling lightning snaking out to counter against the Null Devil King!

The sheer brightness and destructive power of the Ju`wtte was demonstrated by how most things within one hundred meters of Replicus started to melt; not even the air or ambient mana were exempt from this!

The Null Devil King was not deterred, however.

With a grin that almost seemed to connect to his eyes, he pushed against the thousands of bolts of Ju`wtte and they were held at bay by a brand of Null Life Essence Replicus had never seen wafting furiously from him!

The Bastard Sword of the Hedonist then flashed through, aiming at Replicus' neck at impeccable speed!

The Progeny didn't pay it any mind, but a phantom of his did.

Because of the new nervous system Replicus had installed in himself with the Personal Configuration, his phantoms were able to exercise authority over his limbs freely!

And thus...

One of his free hands whipped out, gathered Ju`wtte in its palm and used it to block the incoming swing!

The clash caused the ground to ripple like a spectrum, and for the third time, Brunt Divide was used to strip the Null Devil King of the damned sword.

While this occurred though, Replicus gathered the might provided by his Null Core - over three million units of Null Life Essence - and sent his fist flying into the Null Devil King's face!

Every attack of his, because of the Warmoth's Spine, possessed 500% additional physical damage and 100% Crush and Shock damage!

And the result of these buffs...

Right as the fist connected, a deafening impact resounded and the shockwave it released first sent out a wave of heat, then cool which would have guaranteed an ordinary, unguarded Incandescent Stager instant death with but a graze! (Well, Yuyui, who was nearby was instantly incinerated.)

But that wasn't all.

'This sensation...' the Null Devil King thought, wary.

A chilling feeling traced through his body, seeking something, but before it could find whatever it was looking for... twenty huge pulsing blobs of yellowish lightning lit up around him right after the punch landed... and then they exploded one after another in rapid

succession!

BOOOOOM! BZZZZT!

BOOOOOM! BZZZZT!

...

The explosions were crisp and critical!

One was enough to crack the Null Devil King's armour. Twenty left it looking like a hideously cracked vase moments away from crumbling to pieces!

This was Crush damage!

But then...

The Null Devil King felt a disconnect between his body and mind. His senses wobbled around, unable to focus on Replicus or anything for that matter. Ju`wtte ran along his body,

hampering his ability to move and think clearly!

This was Shock damage!

Replicus didn't let the momentary opportunity slip.

He instantly brought down the Warmoth's Spine with all his might, intent on ending this battle right then, nearly quarter of a minute since the timer from the [Rune of the FIRST]

began!

However...

The Warmoth's Spine had only dropped an inch towards the Null Devil King's head when a whipping wind bashed into Replicus... along with the head of a large, mighty beast!

Replicus couldn't have described the force that rammed into him.

He only remembered his body being overwhelmed by the force a physical blow, and the noise from the collision, and then he was sent flying hard and fast!

'What the...?'

Much to his confusion, whatever hit him seemed to detonate right after it delivered the

mighty strike!

Replicus quickly steadied himself as he flew, but his phantoms alerted him of danger!

The Null Devil King was upon him in less than a fraction of fractions of time, the Bastard

Sword of the Hedonist in his hand!

'He recovered already?!' Replicus thought, frustrated.

The Bastard Sword left a white trail as it cut at him, but at the same time, the Null Devil King extended his free hand towards Replicus and...

The Warmoth's Progeny was dragged from midair towards the Caxellac!

'Null Extraction?!' Replicus thought.

The Null Life Essence in him was being drawn forcefully, and by extension, his body followed!

He had seen the BoneTender do this to Jerthrax, but the application wasn't exactly the same!

Hastily, one of Replicus' free hands whipped out to grab the Null Devil King's sword, but the bastard had anticipated it. He opened his mouth so wide that he hardly looked like he had anything more than a deep maw decorating the front of his head.

Then a familiar, searing flame blazed, furiously surging into the Warmoth's Progeny!